第30部分(第1/7 页)

d　to　be　fairly　asleep；　Pearl　looked　up；　with　mischiefgleaming　in　her　black　eyes。 〃Mother；〃　said　she；　〃what　does　the　scarlet　letter　mean？〃 And　the　next　morning；　the　first　indication　the　child　gave　of　beingawake　was　by　popping　up　her　head　from　the　pillow；　and　making　thatother　inquiry；　which　she　had　so　unaccountably　connected　with　herinvestigations　about　the　scarlet　letter… 〃Mother！…　mother！…　why　does　the　minister　keep　his　hand　over　hisheart？〃 〃Hold　thy　tongue；　naughty　child！〃　answered　her　mother；　with　anasperity　that　she　had　never　permitted　to　herself　before。　〃Do　not　teaseme；　else　I　shall　shut　thee　into　the　dark　closet！〃 XVI。 A　FOREST　WALK。 HESTER　PRYNNE　remained　constant　in　her　resolve　to　make　known　toMr。　Dimmesdale；　at　whatever　risk　of　present　pain　or　ulteriorconsequences；　the　true　character　of　the　man　who　had　crept　into　hisintimacy。　For　several　days；　however；　she　vainly　sought　anopportunity　of　addressing　him　in　some　of　the　meditative　walks　whichshe　knew　him　to　be　in　the　habit　of　taking；　along　the　shores　of　thepeninsula；　or　on　the　wooded　hills　of　the　neighbouring　country。　Therewould　have　been　no　scandal；　indeed；　nor　peril　to　the　holy　whiteness　ofthe　clergyman's　good　fame；　had　she　visited　him　in　his　own　study；　wheremany　a　penitent；　ere　now；　had　confessed　sins　of　perhaps　as　deep　adye　as　the　one　betokened　by　the　scarlet　letter。　But；　partly　that　shedreaded　the　secret　or　undisguised　interference　of　old　RogerChillingworth；　and　partly　that　her　conscious　heart　imputed　suspicionwhere　none　could　have　been　felt；　and　partly　that　both　the　minister　andshe　would　need　the　whole　wide　world　to　breathe　in；　while　they　talkedtogether…　for　all　these　reasons；　Hester　never　though　of　meeting　him　inany　narrower　privacy　than　beneath　the